STANFORD, Calif. - Five matches remain in the regular season for No. 18 Stanford, which hosts No. 38 Oregon on Saturday before traveling to No. 1 California on Sunday.
Coming off a sweep of the Mountain schools last weekend, the Cardinal (9-4, 4-1 Pac-12) continues league play with a matchup against the Ducks (11-5, 3-3 Pac-12). Saturday’s contest also represents Senior Day, with Krista Hardebeck and Lindsey Kostas to be honored in a ceremony prior to the doubles competition. Hardebeck and Kostas were members of Stanford’s 2013 NCAA championship team and have been part of 69 victories on The Farm during their career.
What follows is a quick turnaround against rival California (15-0, 4-0 Pac-12), which has held down the nation’s No. 1 ranking for all but one week since mid-February. While only the April 16 rematch at Taube will serve as the official Pac-12 counting match, a victory for Stanford on Sunday would represent a signature win. The Cardinal has held the upper hand recently, winning 10 of the last 14 meetings against the Golden Bears. Adding to the build-up is that Sunday’s match will be televised on Pac-12 Networks, with J.B. Long (play-by-play) and Amy Jensen (analyst) on the call.
Stanford will use its final five matches as an opportunity to finish strong heading into the postseason. Boosted by the return of 2015 NCAA Singles runner-up and three-time All-American Carol Zhao, the Cardinal’s lineup already looks much different.
The Cardinal has won all three of its matches since Zhao rejoined the lineup, but Stanford is also receiving steady contributions from several others.
Caroline Doyle has compiled a team-high 17 overall victories, Taylor Davidson has anchored the lineup in Zhao’s absence with nine appearances in the No. 1 spot and Hardebeck is riding a 10-match winning streak while playing with increased confidence.
Meanwhile, Stanford’s freshmen trio of Caroline Lampl, Melissa Lord and Kimberly Yee has also played key roles to date, with Lampl’s 15-4 overall record and 10-2 dual mark pacing the rookies.
